Sullivan's $195M budget curbs Safety Net spending

Friday

Nov 9, 2012 at 2:00 AM

MONTICELLO — As Sullivan weighs a double-digit tax increase to help ease its financial distress, the county is also looking to shrink its cost for social programs, including one for single adults, childless couples and children and families in crisis situations.

Leonard Sparks

MONTICELLO — As Sullivan weighs a double-digit tax increase to help ease its financial distress, the county is also looking to shrink its cost for social programs, including one for single adults, childless couples and children and families in crisis situations.

When the county Legislature met for a series of committee meetings Thursday, there was little mention of Saturday's release of a 2013 tentative budget calling for a 13.8 percent tax-levy increase.

But there was talk of an effort to pare Sullivan's costs for emergency housing, foster care and the state's Safety Net program, for which the county pays 71 percent of the costs.

All is meant to save the county money, partly by only spending on those really in need, Legislature Chairman Scott Samuelson said.

"Social Services is here for the needy," he said. "It's not here for a perk."

Overall spending for Safety Net would be cut by about $740,000 and the county's share for the program by about $445,000, according to the budget document.

The department has already reduced its reliance on costly hotels, which are used as emergency housing for families and for homeless single adults eligible for Safety Net, said Randy Parker, who was named to head the Division of Health and Family Services in September.

Hotel placements can cost $850 per month, Parker said. To decrease those placements the county is making a greater effort to verify that people claiming homelessness have no other housing options and that they are county residents.

"We believe that people have other resources available," Parker said.

Next year's proposed budget also calls for a $383,000 reduction in spending on child care services, which partly reflects confidence in the county's ability to recruit more licensed foster care homes.

Placing children in local homes is cheaper than sending them to out-of-county institutions, and allows children to stay near family, friends and schools, county officials said.

Last month Sullivan put out an appeal to residents who may be interested in becoming licensed as a foster home. The appeal generated 31 calls from interested residents.

"I believe that it is far more important for the well-being of a child that he or she be raised in as much of a family-like setting as possible," said County Manager David Fanslau.